Civil society groups in the Kok-Sai-Ruak-Mekong river basin delivered a formal statement to Myanmar's military government demanding urgent action on heavy metal pollution from mining operations flowing across the Thailand border. Key concerns: a proposed bilateral TOR (Terms of Reference) between Thailand and Myanmar risks weakening water-quality monitoring standards, cutting ties with international bodies like MRC, and classifying water-test data as confidential. The network calls for Thailand to (1) immediately halt TOR signing, and (2) impose a full embargo on ore imports from Myanmar as leverage. Meanwhile, communities face acute health impacts—authorities have warned against eating Mekong shrimp, shellfish and fish—and water utilities in Chiang Rai have budgeted ~2 billion baht for alternative water sources because Kok River contamination is now critical. Local residents already pay water costs 16× higher than urban rates.